MOFA security man convicted for destroying four air conditioners

An Accra District Court has convicted Mustapha Yakubu, a security man accused of damaging four air conditioners belonging to the state, to pay a fine of GHC 960.00 or in default go to jail for four months.

Yakubu, who works with Animal Production Unit of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), committed the crime over non-payment of his salaries by the Ministry for the past seven months.

The court, presided over by Ms Aret Nsemoah, found him guilty of causing unlawful damage at the end of the trial.

Sergeant Joyce Ofori, who led the Prosecution said on November 23, this year, Yakubu, who was a night watchman on duty at MOFA destroyed the four air conditioners.

The Prosecution said Madam Veronica, a witness and a cleaner of MOFA, saw one of the air-conditioners fall off from one of the rooms and reported the incident to her superiors.

When Yakubu was questioned, he admitted the offence of destroying the air conditioners after seeking several assistance from his superiors, including the accountant of the unit to get his salary.

According to Yakubu, he also paid several visits to the Ghana Commercial Bank branch at the Ministries over his salary but to no avail.

Yakubu said though he took part in the biometric registration, conducted by Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) of which after the exercise he was also asked to go to the SSNIT office, which he did.

“I was given a form at SSNIT which I took to the accountant of MOFA to work on it. I however did not have access to my salary arrears,” accused told the court.

Prosecution said he admitted before two staff of the Ministry that he destroyed the air-conditioners because he had not been paid for the past seven months.